This website stores cookies on your computer. These cookies are used to improve
your website and provide more personalized services to you, both on this website
and through other media. To find out more about the cookies we use, see our Privacy
Policy.

What is the 2017 Diesel Scrappage Scheme?

Why is the diesel scrappage scheme being put into place?

In a bid to lower UK emissions the government have put the Diesel Scrappage Scheme into place. Air pollution in the UK is a major contributor to poor health, this polluted air does not directly harm or kill people but it is said to be shortening the lives of 40,000 people a year. This harm is primarily hitting those with underlying heart or lung problems. Pollution is a problem globally, and is directly compromising the health of those with respiratory ailments such as asthma.

Britain have made moves towards combating pollution in the past, and though the air pollution has nationally been seen to fall in many big cities harmful air pollutants are still above the recommended levels and in London, road side pollution has barely dropped at all!

Why is the diesel scrappage scheme happening now?

Yes, pollution has always been a concern but this time it is in the mainstream and is a major national focus. Experts in air pollution and the advocates for such a movement say that the issue of dirty air has been unreported for years but this issue has recently been put in the spotlight following two main occurrences. Firstly, the UK government lost court cases over illegal levels of dirty air and then car makers were found to be cheating on car emission testing and figures! Two big events which brought air pollution into mainstream media have coincided with the scientific advances and understanding of just how air pollution can harm people.

Are diesel cars the main contributors to air pollution?

The question everyone has been asking is, 'are diesel cars the villains they are being made out to be?' It wasn’t that long ago when Diesel cars were actually promoted as the most economical option. So, why are they now seen as the main advocates of dirty air? Well, it was diesel car manufacturers who were caught cheating on emission tests and they are much more polluting than petrol and the biggest contributor to pollution in the UK is road pollution! There are many contributors to the air pollution problem though and it is not simply down to privately owned vehicles, taxis, buses and even building site machinery all have a part to play in the pollution issue.

How is the decline in air quality being combated?

When looking at all the contributor to the decline in air quality it s obvious that tackling this issue is a long game with MANY different sides to it. Primarily, those who have a car can take the first step to helping my amending the type of car and usage. Carsharing is still a massive thing and many independent car-share initiatives can be found all over the country. So far, the most effective way to deal with it is to target the largest polluters, like buses and lorries particularly in cities, most of which are doing so but a bigger and quicker response to the issue is being called for.

What exactly is the Diesel Scrappage Scheme?

The diesel scrappage scheme has been hotly debated as the government were and still are being pushed to come to a decision regarding what to do with the existing fleet of diesel cars across the country. Finally, it is actually the car manufacturers who have come to a decision. Owners of old diesel cars can now get up to £7000 off a brand new model by using the scheme to trade in their current vehicle.

It is actually an initiative that is being pushed by the car makers themselves, initiative that has overtaken the effort made by local authorities and the government who are yet to set up fully comprehensive schemes. Last month it was said that local authorities could set up schemes but this is still in progress, the whole thing is still being discussed and is yet to be finalised but we did touch on some of the potential outcomes in our article Diesel & Petrol Car Ban by 2040: What does this mean?

The manufacturers scrappage scheme aim to combat the most polluting cars and help alleviate some of the strain that the government approach to diesel cars may cause. The government incentive is bound to include more charges and restrictions on diesel cars and cause daily and financial inconvenience all round!

How could you use the scrappage scheme?

Well, you will be able to combine your the scrappage schemes with offers and discounts that the manufacturers may have on which will further help you save money when buying a vehicle that suits the criteria. A major benefit of this is that you can use your vehicle as a large deposit towards a leasing or finance agreement or a brand new car!

If you’ve been planning to get rid of an old diesel car and replacing it with a brand new car, then this may be the perfect time and opportunity! Check the emission standard of your vehicle as this affects the value so, first thing first, check it. This information is normally included in your vehicle registration document and if not you can get this information from the manufacturer, easy!

How do you qualify for the scheme?

All of the schemes will accepting cars made by other manufacturers, one of the major stipulations what will be seen across the board is a minimum time of ownership. You will need to prove you have owned the car from anywhere between 90 days to a year. The exact prerequisites will differ between manufacturers, we've included a section below to give you an idea!

What about the Government Scrappage Scheme?

There is no guarantee of when or what exactly this’ll be. The government's Air Quality Plan is swaying towards simply offering councils the resources and financial allocations to create and maintain policies that will tackle air pollution and will work hand in hand with their steps towards the sales ban in 2040. A new air quality fund of over £200 million will be available to local councils where air pollution is at its worst.

The Air Quality Plan has the major factors and contributors across the country including 81 major roads in towns a cities, with a particular focus on London. It is these areas that is said to be worst breaching the EU legal standards and need to cut emissions as soon as possible. Other cities which have been focused on are Birmingham, Leeds, Nottingham, Derby and Southampton.

What will the government's Air Quality plan entail?

Well, so far there is nothing set in stone BUT there is more than a possibility of the following:

Cash incentives - scrap your old model in for a money towards your new one

The incentives are set to be focused on the worst polluted areas by restricting the main incentives to these areas

The concept will be more or less the same across the board. Scrap an older diesel vehicle for a new car that meets the emission standards. Though it will be restricted to the worst affected areas, the issue applies to a vast number of vehicles with over 1.9 million diesel cars older than 12 years on the road.

When will the government diesel scrappage scheme start?

Councils are under pressure to produce a proposal for cutting pollution by next year. These plans will then be discussed, improved and finalised. Once this has all been done it will easily be 2019 and also coincides with launch of the first Clean Air Zones outside of London where drivers of older cars will be charged to enter the city.

What Cars can I buy under the diesel scrappage scheme?

Potentially you should have the choice of ANY new car but it may also be worth using this incentive. It may be worth looking into going for an electric or hybrid model though, like the Nissan LEAF,Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid, Citroen C-Zero, Hyundai IONIQ and many more! Take a look at any of these models and it becomes clear that electric cars no longer compromise on performance so it is definitely worth looking into this course of action!

So far, individual Manufacturers have offered the following scrappage schemes:

Hyundai

They are offering up to £5000 off the price of a wide range of new vehicles

It will target petrol and diesel Euro 1 to 4 emissions standard cars registered before 31st December 2009

For example the i10 receives a £1500 scrappage discount, a Santa Fe £5000 and a IONIQ Hybrid £2000

Kia

Their scrappage scheme offers £2000 to drivers wanting to trade in for a new Picanto or Rio.

Cars over 7 years old are eligible

Kia will run their scrappage scheme from the 1st of September 2017 to 31st December 2017.

The buyer must be the owner of the car getting scrapped

Nissan

Their customers will be offered an additional £2000 on top of the trade-in value of their pre-Euro 5, pre 2009 vehicle for the month of September.

The savings can be used in conjunction with other discounts meaning Nissan buyers can save a great deal!

You could get up to a £3600 discount on a Micra, £4500 on a Juke and Qashqai and up to £2000 on a used LEAF

Toyota

They are offering savings of up to £4000 discounts on their range of petrol and petrol-hybrid cars.

It will run from September till december

It is open to any vehicle over seven years old

The vehicle must be registered to the current owner for at least six months to be eligible

You could get £2000 scrappage saving on an Aygo, £3500 on Yaris and Yaris Hybrid and £4000 of the Land Cruiser

Honda & Peugeot

Details to be confirmed and will be updated accordingly

So, we hope that this has answered your questions but, if you have any more queries or need any more info then do not hesitate to contact your local dealerhship.

Howards Garages (Weston) Ltd is an Appointed Representative of Automotive Compliance
Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA No
497010). Automotive Compliance Ltd's permissions as a Principal Firm allows Howards
Garages (Weston) Ltd to act as a credit broker, not as lender, for the introduction
to a limited number of finance providers and to act as an agent on behalf of the
insurer for insurance mediation activities only.